1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to key cabinets, and more particularly to key cabinets having key panels and a door attached to a frame. More specifically, the present invention relates to key cabinets having key panels pivotally attached to a frame in a staggered orientation relative to one another along one side of the frame and a door pivotally attached to the other side of the frame.
2. Prior Art
Those skilled in the art can best appreciate that key cabinets are generally well-known. Typically, key cabinets have a frame with a door pivotally attached thereto. Often the door includes a latch, or lock, to prevent unauthorized access to the contents of the key cabinet. These cabinets often include a plurality of hooks extending from a rear surface of the key cabinet for receipt of keys thereon.
Although prior art key cabinets adequately achieve their intended purpose, various other devices have been suggested to further advance the art. For instance, it was deemed desirable to increase the storage capacity of key cabinets. One such key cabinet which was suggested to achieve this result is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,139 to Victory entitled xe2x80x9cOrientable Keybox with Keypanels Vertically and Horizontally Extendable.xe2x80x9d This key cabinet provides a plurality of key panels slidably mounted therein having a plurality of hooks disposed on each key panel. To access one of the key panels, a user simply slides the desired key panel outwardly which permits access to the keys secured thereto. Even though such key cabinets have been found to have increased storage capacity, they also have several drawbacks. For instance, a user can only conveniently access one key panel at a time because when multiple key panels are simultaneously slid outwardly the key panels conceal one another and frustrate simple access to the panels. Further, the use of hooks to organize and secure keys within key cabinets often prove to be non-compact since the hooks secure keys in an approximately coplanar configuration relative to one another in a plane parallel with respect to the respective key panel.
To further advance the art, several other devices have been suggested such as the key cabinets currently manufactured by Telkee, Inc. under the trademarks REGENT and ARISTOCRAT to increase storage capacity while providing simplified access to the keys. Each of these key cabinets include a frame having a rear wall and a pair of oppositely disposed side walls. Fitted within the frame are a plurality of key panels pivotally attached adjacent one of the side walls of the frame. Each key panel has a plurality of hooks to organize and secure keys. These key cabinets also have a door pivotally attached to the frame adjacent the same side wall as the key panels.
Although these devices may advance the art, they also present several drawbacks. For instance, the key panels and door are attached to the frame adjacent one another in a book-type configuration so that pivoting the key panels away from the frame necessarily conceals the door and visa-versa. In addition, when a plurality of key panels are attached within these key cabinets, they are attached in an aligned configuration with each hinge disposed approximately the same distance from the adjacent wall such that the key panels are aligned and conceal one another, which frustrates simple access to the key panels positioned behind any of the other key panels in the key cabinet. Similarly, key cabinets of this type which utilize a plurality of hooks to organize and store keys as described above have proven to be expensive to manufacture and limited in storage capacity.
To further increase the storage capacity of key cabinets, various other devices have been suggested such as the apparatus manufactured by MMF Industries currently marketed under the trademark UNI-TAG. These key cabinets comprise a frame with a plurality of key panels. Each key panel includes a plurality of rails with each rail having a plurality of slots formed therethrough. A plurality of keys are attached to a tag having a slot which defines a tongue that is sized to be receivable within a corresponding slot of the rail. Although these devices may increase the storage capacity of key cabinets by storing keys in a parallel orientation rather than a coplanar orientation, as is the case with hooks, these rails have proved to be quite expensive to manufacture.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to have a key cabinet which enhances the ability of the user to identify and grasp the desired key. It would further be desirable to have a key cabinet that provides simultaneous access to multiple key panels. In addition, it would also be desirable to have a key cabinet which has expandable storage capacity. Finally, it would be desirable to have rails for a key cabinet that are designed to minimize overall manufacturing cost of the cabinet.
In brief summary, the preferred embodiment of the present invention overcomes and substantially alleviates many of the deficiencies found in the prior art by providing a key cabinet having a frame that defines an interior chamber with at least one key panel attached therein as well as a door attached to and overlying the frame. The frame includes a rear wall defining a surface with holes for receipt of a screw to secure the key cabinet to a wall. The rear wall is bounded by a pair of opposing side walls as well as opposing top and bottom walls which are transversely oriented relative to the side walls.
Each key panel of the present invention includes a body having a front surface and a corresponding rear surface. The body is interconnected by a hinge to a slat with holes formed therethrough. The body also includes a finger opening such that the key panels may be easily grasped and pivoted about the hinge by a user.
One novel feature of the present invention is that the key cabinet includes a securement mechanism for securing each key panel to the frame. The securement mechanism includes an angled panel attached between one of the side walls and the rear wall with holes formed therethrough which are sized and located to correspond with the holes on each key panel. As such, when the key panels are attached to the angled panel, each key panel is aligned in a staggered orientation relative to one another. Each angled panel is located adjacent one side wall, while the door is adjacent the other side wall. Therefore, once the door is pivoted open, each key panel is pivoted away from the frame in an opposite direction than the door. Unlike prior art key cabinets which provide simultaneous access to only one key panel and the door because the key panels and door are attached adjacent the same side wall, the user of the present invention has simultaneous access to the door as well as two key panels. Another advantageous feature of the present invention is that the key panels may be attached to or removed from the securement mechanism at the option of the user which allows the storage capacity of the key cabinet to be adjusted at the option of the user.
Still another unique aspect of the present invention is that the rear wall and each key panel includes at least one key rail. The key rail includes an upper portion and a lower portion with the upper portion being bent or otherwise formed into an obtuse angle relative to the lower portion. The lower portion includes dents which are welded to corresponding projections or the like extending from the rear wall to secure the key rails to the surface of the rear wall or panel, while the upper portion includes a plurality of teeth and corresponding grooves therebetween.
The key cabinet of the present invention further comprises a key tag assembly including a key tag having a body with an angled slot which defines a tongue. The key tag also has an orifice through which a clip is fitted. The clip is in turn fitted through an aperture of the key to couple the key tag to the key. Each key tag assembly is organized and secured within the frame by engaging the angled slot with one of the grooves.
In an alternative embodiment, to reduce the cost of the present invention, the securement mechanism includes holes formed through the top and bottom walls of the key cabinet. Preferably, the holes are aligned relative to one another in the respective top and bottom panels in an angled orientation between the interior of the rear wall and the periphery of the side wall. The key panel of this alternative embodiment includes a top lip and a bottom lip, each of which includes an aperture. A post having a shaft is fitted through the aperture with a head that abuts the corresponding lip. A screw is inserted through the hole to engage an opening in the post which secures each key panel to the frame. One skilled in the art can appreciate that the staggered orientation of the holes allows the key panels to be aligned in a staggered relationship. As in the previous embodiment, the screw holes are located adjacent the side wall opposite the other side wall which the door is attached adjacent to, thereby permitting simultaneous access to multiple key panels of the key cabinet by the user.
In operation, the user of the present invention simply pivots the door away from the frame in one direction and then pivots the key panels away from the frame in the opposite direction until the desired key panel is found by the user. The user may then reference the key ledger to determine which key is desired and locate the key by referencing the appropriate groove label. When the user has finished utilizing the key, he will simply replace the key in the correct groove by correlating the groove label with the corresponding key label. Once the key has been properly secured, the user would then pivot the key panel, or key panels, back into a parallel orientation in front of the rear wall. Thereafter, the user pivots the door into a parallel orientation relative to rear wall, thus concealing the key panels within the interior chamber.
One object of the present invention is to provide a key cabinet that is compact while maximizing storage capacity.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a key cabinet that enhances the ability of the user to quickly identify and grasp a desired key panel.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a key cabinet which provides simultaneous access to multiple key panels by the user.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a rail that minimizes material usage and the resulting manufacturing cost of the key cabinet.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a key cabinet which provides a modular construction wherein key panels may be added or removed as required.
These and other objects of the present invention are realized in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, described by way of example and not by way of limitation, which provides for a key cabinet having key panels pivotally attached to a frame in a staggered orientation relative to one another along one side wall of the frame and a door pivotally attached to the other side wall of the frame.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination and the following more detailed description and drawings in which like elements of the invention are similarly numbered throughout.